51. Standing Order (J.D. Wetherspoons), George Street
52. The Grey Horse, Dalkeith Road
53. The Marmion, Captain’s Road
54. The Southsider, West Richmond Street
55. Native State, Potterow
56. Assembly, Lothian Street
57. Henry’s Cellar Bar, Morrison Street
58. Festival Tavern, Morrison Street
59. Conan Doyle, York Place
60. The Stag’s Head, Broughton Road
61. MaClachlan’s, Canonmills
62. Smithey’s, Eyre Place
63. The Orchard, Howard Place
64. Barony, Broughton Street
65. Mathers, Broughton Street
66. Doctors, Teviot Place
67. Oddfellows, Forrest Road
68. 99 Hanover Street, Hanover Street
69. Whistle Binkies, South Bridge
70. The Plough Inn, Portobello High Street
71. The Galleon, Portobello High Street
72. Foresters Arms, Portobello High Street
73. The Volunteer Arms, Leith Walk
74. The Balmoral, Dalry Road
75. Robertson’s Bar, Gorgie Road
76. Joseph Pearce’s, Elm Row
77. Elm Bar, Elm Row
78. Brunswick Bar, Leith Walk
79. The Hopetoun Bar, MacDonald Road
80. Slug and Lettuce, Leith Street
81. Deacon Brodie’s, Bank Street
82. The Strathmore Bar, Iona Street
83. Tamson’s Bar, Easter Road
84. The Black Bull, Leith Street
85. The Newsroom, Leith Street
86. Waterloo Buffet, Waterloo Place
87. Ark, Waterloo Place
88. The Living Room, George Street
89. The Peartree, Chapel Street
90. 56 North, Chapel Street
91. The Meadow Bar (The Moo), Buccleuch Street
92. The Dagda, Buccleuch Street
93. Drouthy Neebors, Causewayside
94. The Junction , West Preston Street
95. The Hebrides, Market Street
96. The Doric, Market Street
97. Grand Cru, Hanover Street
98. Hudson’s Bar, Hope Street
99. Agenda, St John’s Road
100. The Centurion, St John’s Road
Saturday, 16 August 2008
Wednesday, 13 August 2008
TON UP IN CORSTORPHINE
As summer 2008 slowly appeared (and promptly disappeared far more quickly), we decided to set an evening to finish off our first hundred pubs. Corstorphine was the location chosen for this task.
Agenda (St. John's Road, 12/26/31/X48/100) is a trendy cafe-bar/restaurant which could easily be mistaken for the foyer of an hotel or – in some areas – the reception of a large office complex. Anyway, they had some good deals on bottled lagers as part of a Euro 2008 promotion. Our stay was brief, and our departure coincided with half-time in the ongoing game.
The Centurion (St John'sRoad, 12/26/31/X48/100) was chosen as our 100th pub for obvious reasons. We took up our positions in the lounge bar, joined by Neil McDonald and Grog Bingham, who seemed to have forgotten his gripes regarding the constant mis-spellings of his surname. A pleasant enough if forgettable joint, we stayed to watch Sweden round off their victory over Greece, Zlatan Ibrahimovic scoring a cracking goal in the process.
The Toby Carvery and Pub (St John's Road, 12/26/31/X48/100): You don't honestly expect me to write a full appraisal of every Toby Carvery or Brewer's Fayre we pass do you? What? You do? Tough.
The Corstorphine Inn (Corstorphine High Street, 1) provided our last point of call for the evening. Maybe my memory is playing up, or perhaps it was just the late hour, but the place seemed unnecesarily cavernous, which left it completely devoid of atmosphere. Redeeming features came in the shape of a good selection of real ales and an hour or so whiled away at the quiz machine.
After just over a month's break from participating in the Pub Challenge, The Management reconvened in mid-July to set out a game plan for the rest of the summer. Whigham's Wine Cellars (Hope Street, 1/3/4/10/11/12/13/15/16/17/19/22/24/25/26/30/31/33/34/36/37/41/44/X48/100) was the chosen meeting place, based on Nick's recommendation. Apparently this place is incredibly lively after office hours (and I can see why), but by the time we arrived at 10-ish only a few stragglers remained. Thankfully there was a rather attractive barmaid on shift, who successfully managed to distract me from listening to anything which Nick was trying to tell me about bus routes, statistics, or why Adam Johns should come out drinking more regularly.
Until the next time, when we shall have the benefit of the Fringe Festival and extended opening hours....
CUMULATIVE PUB COUNT: 103
Agenda (St. John's Road, 12/26/31/X48/100) is a trendy cafe-bar/restaurant which could easily be mistaken for the foyer of an hotel or – in some areas – the reception of a large office complex. Anyway, they had some good deals on bottled lagers as part of a Euro 2008 promotion. Our stay was brief, and our departure coincided with half-time in the ongoing game.
The Centurion (St John'sRoad, 12/26/31/X48/100) was chosen as our 100th pub for obvious reasons. We took up our positions in the lounge bar, joined by Neil McDonald and Grog Bingham, who seemed to have forgotten his gripes regarding the constant mis-spellings of his surname. A pleasant enough if forgettable joint, we stayed to watch Sweden round off their victory over Greece, Zlatan Ibrahimovic scoring a cracking goal in the process.
The Toby Carvery and Pub (St John's Road, 12/26/31/X48/100): You don't honestly expect me to write a full appraisal of every Toby Carvery or Brewer's Fayre we pass do you? What? You do? Tough.
The Corstorphine Inn (Corstorphine High Street, 1) provided our last point of call for the evening. Maybe my memory is playing up, or perhaps it was just the late hour, but the place seemed unnecesarily cavernous, which left it completely devoid of atmosphere. Redeeming features came in the shape of a good selection of real ales and an hour or so whiled away at the quiz machine.
After just over a month's break from participating in the Pub Challenge, The Management reconvened in mid-July to set out a game plan for the rest of the summer. Whigham's Wine Cellars (Hope Street, 1/3/4/10/11/12/13/15/16/17/19/22/24/25/26/30/31/33/34/36/37/41/44/X48/100) was the chosen meeting place, based on Nick's recommendation. Apparently this place is incredibly lively after office hours (and I can see why), but by the time we arrived at 10-ish only a few stragglers remained. Thankfully there was a rather attractive barmaid on shift, who successfully managed to distract me from listening to anything which Nick was trying to tell me about bus routes, statistics, or why Adam Johns should come out drinking more regularly.
Until the next time, when we shall have the benefit of the Fringe Festival and extended opening hours....
CUMULATIVE PUB COUNT: 103
Wednesday, 6 August 2008
NOT-SO-RECENT HAPPENINGS PART TWO
Here at The Great Edinburgh Pub Challenge, we don't usually go out with the intention of getting drunk. Sometimes it just happens as a side effect of drinking so much, but contained within this latest report is at least one occasion on which a conscious decision was made to go hell for leather.
The Peartree (Chapel Street, 41/42) is one of the best known pubs in Edinburgh, simply for the fact that it sports a large beer garden. Sadly, the place seems to have capitalised on this by raising its prices to near-farcical rates, and seems to have forgotten the fact that it's actually pretty rubbish once you get inside. OK, it's nice to have a pint outside in the sun, and it can get fairly packed around exam time or during the festival – but the Peartree seems to thrive by serving people who don't know anywhere better to go. Don't fall into this trap, please.
56 North (West Crosscauseway, 41/42) was formerly known as The Human Be-in. Thankfully they ditched the horrendous name but what does the new one actually mean? 56 miles north? Of where? 56 degrees north? 56 North seems to be more focussed on the food side of things these days – and admittedly the menu did look fairly mouthwatering – but we managed to buy the most expensive round of the Pub Challenge to date, ringing in at a little over £8 for two drinks. Ouch.
The Meadow Bar (Buccleuch Street, 41/42) is affectionately known as The Moo Bar. Nick, who had been previously unaware of this fact, was delighted to discover this as he maintains a strange – but mostly healthy – interest in bovine creatures, and can often be heard performing impressions of such animals at inappropriate moments.* The Moo had been done up since last time I was in, but maintains its intimate atmosphere. Very much student-orientated, The Moo is the kind of place you'd always be happy to meet someone for a couple of drinks, but you'd never go out of your way to drink there.
The Dagda (Buccleuch Street, 41/42): now we're talking. A tiny little joint with about 4 or 5 tables and a central bar, The Dagda is equally devoted to good ales, strong Belgian beers and malt whiskies. As a partisan supporter of each of these causes I must applaud the landlord for his efforts, and also for his gargantuan sideburns. We were joined in the Dagda by Gillian Campbell, celebrity midget and not-quite-by-that-point-other-half of Phil “Gob” B. A notorious Bad Influence, Gillian's presence would have disasterous consequences as the day wore on...
Droothy Neebors (Causewayside, 42) is located in Sciennes, a sleepy part of Edinburgh between the student meccas of Marchmont and the Southside. Droothy's therefore attracts a slightly different crowd from many of the watering holes in this area, as students are joined by everyone from down-and-outs to young professionals. The pub itself is a Belhaven franchise, and offers a range of beers wide enough for you to shake a stick at. Lager fans will be pleased to note the availability of Furstenburg, Heineken, and,er, something else (Budvar?) on draft in addition to the usual piss.
The Junction (West Preston Street, diverted 14): Nick - being the eagle-eyed creature he is – had spotted a bus traversing the unusual territory of West Preston Street, and jumped at the chance for us for us to add another pub to the Challenge. After a brief pause for some debauchery (pictured below), we made our way into The Junction for a swift couple. The Junction is incredibly spartan inside – and not in a 1970s-formica-and-linoleum way. Ownership has changed about four times over the same number of years, and the place has alternated between being a cheap, slightly rough around the edges boozer and an absolute jake hole. Thankfully it is currently going through one of the former phases. From here we headed to a party somewhere in Boroughmuirhead, the rest of the evening becoming a blurry mess...
The Hebrides (Market Street, 36): Each May a number of T-Break showcase gigs are put on at the Liquid Room, with the most impressive performers winning a place at T in the Park. We had been at one such event (featuring amongst others, Alex Cornish(wearing his trusty red check-shirt, as ever), Haight Ashbury and Tommy Reilly), and decided to stop off for a quick pint or two on the way home, here being the first stopping point. A traditional Scots pub located round the back of Waverley station, The Hebrides was packed despite the late hour, with an impromptu folk session taking place by the bar. The sizeable crowd and intimiate nature of the pub gave rise to it being bloody boiling inside though! Worth a visit.
The Doric (Market Street, 36): In the absence of a true Aberdonian (they'd never have bought a round anyway), we were joined by Stonehaven's Flora Cook for our visit to The Doric.Last orders had already been called by the time we entered the place, and to be hones the place might as well have already been shut. We were the only punters in the place, and the bar staff seemed to be in a hurry to get rid of us. God knows why....
Grand Cru (Hanover Street, 13/23/27): Go into a New Town bar (you can't really call them pubs, can you?) on a Saturday afternoon and you'll generally find two groups of people; increasingly loud gaggles of women necking a lot of wine and discussing recent shopping purchases, and groups of blokes whiling away the afternoons with a few pints rather than being dragged round the shops. On this particular Saturday, The Management represented a third distinct group. After seeing The Wynd at the Ark the previous night, Nick had ended up in the casino, and was tackling his hangover by having 'just a few'** pints to aid his progress through the day. I had elected to join him for part of that journey. Grand Cru was one of the afternoon's stopping points, and bore a striking resemblance to someone's living room, with thick carpets and big sofas. I didn't see anything which made the place stand out in the slightest – in fact the place was entirely forgettable. Nick did manage to smash his glass, however – an event which coincided with our departure...
The Hudson Hotel and Bar (Hope Street, 1/3/4/10/11/12/13/15/16/17/19/22/24/25/26/30/31/33/34/36/37/41/44//47/X48/100 is the latest in a lengthening list of pubs to become eligible for The Great Edinburgh Pub Challenge due to temporary diversions in place whilst the tram system is constructed. Notorious both for its 'grab-a-granny' club located underground and the abysmal pints they serve, I cannot think of a single reason to recommend The Hudson to anyone. Overpriced, too loud and too warm, there are bars in the West End which manage to perform the same function to a far higher standard.
Until the next time...
CUMULATIVE PUB COUNT: 98
*Note: Entirely true.
**Note: Nick ended up in the casino for a consecutive night, and apparently incurred a hangover which lasted into the following Tuesday.
The Peartree (Chapel Street, 41/42) is one of the best known pubs in Edinburgh, simply for the fact that it sports a large beer garden. Sadly, the place seems to have capitalised on this by raising its prices to near-farcical rates, and seems to have forgotten the fact that it's actually pretty rubbish once you get inside. OK, it's nice to have a pint outside in the sun, and it can get fairly packed around exam time or during the festival – but the Peartree seems to thrive by serving people who don't know anywhere better to go. Don't fall into this trap, please.
56 North (West Crosscauseway, 41/42) was formerly known as The Human Be-in. Thankfully they ditched the horrendous name but what does the new one actually mean? 56 miles north? Of where? 56 degrees north? 56 North seems to be more focussed on the food side of things these days – and admittedly the menu did look fairly mouthwatering – but we managed to buy the most expensive round of the Pub Challenge to date, ringing in at a little over £8 for two drinks. Ouch.
The Meadow Bar (Buccleuch Street, 41/42) is affectionately known as The Moo Bar. Nick, who had been previously unaware of this fact, was delighted to discover this as he maintains a strange – but mostly healthy – interest in bovine creatures, and can often be heard performing impressions of such animals at inappropriate moments.* The Moo had been done up since last time I was in, but maintains its intimate atmosphere. Very much student-orientated, The Moo is the kind of place you'd always be happy to meet someone for a couple of drinks, but you'd never go out of your way to drink there.
The Dagda (Buccleuch Street, 41/42): now we're talking. A tiny little joint with about 4 or 5 tables and a central bar, The Dagda is equally devoted to good ales, strong Belgian beers and malt whiskies. As a partisan supporter of each of these causes I must applaud the landlord for his efforts, and also for his gargantuan sideburns. We were joined in the Dagda by Gillian Campbell, celebrity midget and not-quite-by-that-point-other-half of Phil “Gob” B. A notorious Bad Influence, Gillian's presence would have disasterous consequences as the day wore on...
Droothy Neebors (Causewayside, 42) is located in Sciennes, a sleepy part of Edinburgh between the student meccas of Marchmont and the Southside. Droothy's therefore attracts a slightly different crowd from many of the watering holes in this area, as students are joined by everyone from down-and-outs to young professionals. The pub itself is a Belhaven franchise, and offers a range of beers wide enough for you to shake a stick at. Lager fans will be pleased to note the availability of Furstenburg, Heineken, and,er, something else (Budvar?) on draft in addition to the usual piss.
The Junction (West Preston Street, diverted 14): Nick - being the eagle-eyed creature he is – had spotted a bus traversing the unusual territory of West Preston Street, and jumped at the chance for us for us to add another pub to the Challenge. After a brief pause for some debauchery (pictured below), we made our way into The Junction for a swift couple. The Junction is incredibly spartan inside – and not in a 1970s-formica-and-linoleum way. Ownership has changed about four times over the same number of years, and the place has alternated between being a cheap, slightly rough around the edges boozer and an absolute jake hole. Thankfully it is currently going through one of the former phases. From here we headed to a party somewhere in Boroughmuirhead, the rest of the evening becoming a blurry mess...
The Hebrides (Market Street, 36): Each May a number of T-Break showcase gigs are put on at the Liquid Room, with the most impressive performers winning a place at T in the Park. We had been at one such event (featuring amongst others, Alex Cornish(wearing his trusty red check-shirt, as ever), Haight Ashbury and Tommy Reilly), and decided to stop off for a quick pint or two on the way home, here being the first stopping point. A traditional Scots pub located round the back of Waverley station, The Hebrides was packed despite the late hour, with an impromptu folk session taking place by the bar. The sizeable crowd and intimiate nature of the pub gave rise to it being bloody boiling inside though! Worth a visit.
The Doric (Market Street, 36): In the absence of a true Aberdonian (they'd never have bought a round anyway), we were joined by Stonehaven's Flora Cook for our visit to The Doric.Last orders had already been called by the time we entered the place, and to be hones the place might as well have already been shut. We were the only punters in the place, and the bar staff seemed to be in a hurry to get rid of us. God knows why....
Grand Cru (Hanover Street, 13/23/27): Go into a New Town bar (you can't really call them pubs, can you?) on a Saturday afternoon and you'll generally find two groups of people; increasingly loud gaggles of women necking a lot of wine and discussing recent shopping purchases, and groups of blokes whiling away the afternoons with a few pints rather than being dragged round the shops. On this particular Saturday, The Management represented a third distinct group. After seeing The Wynd at the Ark the previous night, Nick had ended up in the casino, and was tackling his hangover by having 'just a few'** pints to aid his progress through the day. I had elected to join him for part of that journey. Grand Cru was one of the afternoon's stopping points, and bore a striking resemblance to someone's living room, with thick carpets and big sofas. I didn't see anything which made the place stand out in the slightest – in fact the place was entirely forgettable. Nick did manage to smash his glass, however – an event which coincided with our departure...
The Hudson Hotel and Bar (Hope Street, 1/3/4/10/11/12/13/15/16/17/19/22/24/25/26/30/31/33/34/36/37/41/44//47/X48/100 is the latest in a lengthening list of pubs to become eligible for The Great Edinburgh Pub Challenge due to temporary diversions in place whilst the tram system is constructed. Notorious both for its 'grab-a-granny' club located underground and the abysmal pints they serve, I cannot think of a single reason to recommend The Hudson to anyone. Overpriced, too loud and too warm, there are bars in the West End which manage to perform the same function to a far higher standard.
Until the next time...
CUMULATIVE PUB COUNT: 98
*Note: Entirely true.
**Note: Nick ended up in the casino for a consecutive night, and apparently incurred a hangover which lasted into the following Tuesday.
Monday, 4 August 2008
NOT-SO-RECENT HAPPENINGS
Evening all. I realise it has been an exceptionally long time since the last blog entry – however this delay is fully justified as The Management have been busy with dissertations, exams (both academic and professional) and drinking – each of these things automatically takes priority to sitting on the computer typing up a report of said adventures. For this reason, this particular entry will aim to have a theme of “maximum information, minimum bullshit” - so whilst you enjoy clear and concise reviews of the latest watering holes, you won't have to put up with us making crap jokes about Adam Johns (however readers should note that this decision was aided by the fact that Mr Johns hasn't been out on the Pub Challenge in the last 6 months).
Joseph Pearce's (Elm Row, 7/10/11/12/14/16/22/25/49) is apparently now Swedish-themed, which thankfully does not mean that they now charge 7 quid per pint. Instead, this vintage pub now has a slightly camp ambiénce (it is not a pink bar though – don't worry) with candles on the tables, comfy seats and a 'children's corner', where families are encouraged to gather.
The Elm Bar (Elm Row, 7/10/11/12/14/16/22/25/49) is probably the worst pub I've ever visited. Not only is the place an absolute dive, but the service was appalling – it took myself, Nick and Ian Davidson almost 15 minutes to be served. This delay was not due to the barman's alarming likeness to Mr T, however.
The Brunswick Bar (Elm Row, 7/10/11/12/14/16/22/25/49) a bit of a strange one; the place was quite nice inside and did a great pint,but it was absolutely dead (and no they didn't have advance warning that we'd be there). There's potential for someone to make something of it when all the UNITE student halls pop up round there next year.
The Hopetoun Bar and Diner (McDonald Road, 13) is a John Barras pub, so once again I don't need to offer a detailed analysis. Suffice to say Nick managed to find himself in the company of a rather bigoted Rangers man (is there any other kind?), and Greig Bingham's name was mentioned several times. Greig Bingham was not present at this time.
The Slug and Lettuce (Omni Centre, Greenside Place, 1/4/5/7/8/10/11/12/14/15/16/17/19/22/25/26/34/44/45/49) is a chain effort and is almost indistinguishable from any of the other faceless bars within the Omni Centre. Nick was adamant that Neil McDonald should have been with us that night though, because “his nickname is The Lettuce and he looks like a slug”. Fair enough.
Deacon Brodie's Tavern (Bank Street/Lawnmarket, 23/27/41/42/45): William Brodie (1741–1788), more commonly known by his prestigious title of Deacon Brodie, was a Scottish cabinet-maker, deacon of the trades guild and Edinburgh city councillor, who maintained a secret life as a burglar, partly for the thrill, and partly to fund his gambling.
By day, Brodie was a respectable businessman, member of the burgh council and deacon (or president) of the Incorporation of Wrights and Masons. Part of his job in building cabinets was to install and repair their locks and other security mechanisms and repair door locks. He also served on a jury. He socialised with the gentry of Edinburgh, meeting poet Robert Burns and the painter Sir Henry Raeburn. He was also a member of The Edinburgh Cape Club.
At night, however, Brodie became a burglar and thief. He used his daytime job as a way to gain knowledge about the security mechanisms of his clients and to copy their keys using wax impressions. As the foremost wright of the city, Brodie was asked to work in the homes of many of the richest members of Edinburgh society. He used the illicit money to maintain his second life, including five children, two mistresses who did not know of each other, and a gambling habit. He reputedly began his criminal career around 1768 when he copied keys to a bank door and stole £800. In 1786 he recruited a gang of three thieves, Brown, Smith and Ainslie.
The case that lead to Brodie's downfall began later in 1786 when he organised an armed raid on an Excise office in Chessel's Court on the Canongate. Brodie's plan failed and Ainslie was captured. Ainslie agreed to turn King's evidence, to avoid transportation, and informed on the rest of the gang. Brodie escaped to the Netherlands intending to flee to the United States but was arrested in Amsterdam and shipped back to Edinburgh for trial.
The trial started August 27, 1788. At first there was no hard evidence against Brodie before the tools of his criminal trade were found in his house; copied keys, a disguise and pistols. The jury found Brodie and his henchman George Smith, a grocer, guilty. Smith was an English locksmith, he was responsible for a number of thefts, even stealing the silver mace from the University of Edinburgh.
Brodie and Smith were hanged at the Tolbooth October 1, 1788, using a gallows Brodie had designed and funded the year before. According to one tale, Brodie wore a steel collar and silver tube to prevent the hanging from being fatal. It was said that he had bribed the hangman to ignore it and arranged for his body to be removed quickly in the hope that he could later be revived. If so, the plan failed. Brodie was buried in an unmarked grave at the Parish Church in Buccleuch. However rumours of his being seen in Paris circulated later and gave the story of his scheme to evade death further publicity.
Popular myth holds that Deacon Brodie built the first gallows in Edinburgh and was also its first victim. Of this William Roughead in Classic Crimes states that after research he was sure that although the Deacon may have had some hand in the design "...it was certainly not of his construction, nor was he the first to benefit by its ingenuity".
The dichotomy between Brodie's respectable façade, and his real nature inspired Robert Louis Stevenson to write The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. Stevenson's father had furniture made by Brodie.
Or so it says on wikipedia - the pub is a bit of a rubbish tourist trap though.
The Strathmore Bar (Iona Street, diverted 13): our visit here almost gave rise to a financial stooshie; having passed the sign calling the bar “The Trathie” (the S having fallen off a long time ago), I was sceptical of Nick's claims that the place was indeed called The Strathmore, even to the point at which I offered to raise a £300 waiger on the matter. Thankfully Mr Chris McCall talked me down from the ledge.
Tamson's (the old Footballer's Arms, Easter Road, 1/13/35) looks fairly uninviting from the outside but once we crossed the threshold it turned out to be a nice little pub. We had planned to have one pint and one pint only, but quicky developed a residency at the bar, helped by Mr Chadha repeatedly (and conveniently) missing his bus by a matter of minutes.
The Black Bull (Leith Street/Calton Road, 1/5/7/14/19/22/25/34/49) is renouned for its popularity with local punks and metal fans, and has the jukebox to match. The thought of the place provokes tinitis in me, and we were only in at the back of 7! Not one for the hard of hearing.
The Newsroom (Leith Street, 1/5/7/14/19/22/25/34/49) is a cocktail bar/juice bar/ponce fest but it served a nice halfway point for the walk between the Black Bull and our next point of call (roughly 50 yards round the corner), and surprisingly did a very good pint of Guinness. I'm not sure if it was a deliberate point given the name of the joint, or whether it was simply a reflection on the type of place The Newsroom is, but I was pleased to see that a full-ish selection of the days' broadsheets was available for persual whilst one drank their pint.
The Waterloo Buffet (Waterloo Place, X25/X26) is a strange little place tucked away beyond the end of Princes Street but before Calton Hill. Busy during the day with commuters necking a swift half before catching their buses to West Lothian or wherever it is they go, the place is dead at night – indeed our only company in the bar was a rather drunk fellow who insisted on telling us his life story. Twice. It may have been coincidence but it was at around this point that the barmaid decided to call time on proceedings. We headed straight upstairs to The Ark (Waterloo Place, X25/X26) a music venue-cum-bar where singer-songwriting and all round good guy Alex Cornish was wearing a red-check shirt and playing some tunes. If you want to read a review of the gig you should check here, we stood at the back and drank a lot of Guinness so were in no place to pass comment.
The Living Room (George Street, 13,19,36,37,41,47,X47): From time to time, The Management engage in social drinking, rather than simply dragging themselves into pubs and making jokes about Adam Johns. Our visit to The Living Room was one such occasion, as we joined PWC's finest for some kind of birthday 'do, a 21st or something*. A couple of the PWC crowd had been exercising their drinking muscles since lunchtime and thus were rather er, merry, especially one bloke who at one stage must have had about 4 pints in front of him – seemingly with each cigarette break he would forget that his collection was increasing. The place itself was quite classy, not just 'stylish' or 'trendy' as many New Town bars seem to be. Nick has asked me to point out that he found the cocktails substandard – at first I thought he was bemoaning the lack of an umbrella or cherry tomato but no, he genuinely wasn't impressed with his celery and cucumber concoction, or whatever it was. I had a mojito and an Estonian beer, both passed the test.
Until the next time....
CUMULATIVE PUB COUNT: 88
*Note: this may not be true.
Joseph Pearce's (Elm Row, 7/10/11/12/14/16/22/25/49) is apparently now Swedish-themed, which thankfully does not mean that they now charge 7 quid per pint. Instead, this vintage pub now has a slightly camp ambiénce (it is not a pink bar though – don't worry) with candles on the tables, comfy seats and a 'children's corner', where families are encouraged to gather.
The Elm Bar (Elm Row, 7/10/11/12/14/16/22/25/49) is probably the worst pub I've ever visited. Not only is the place an absolute dive, but the service was appalling – it took myself, Nick and Ian Davidson almost 15 minutes to be served. This delay was not due to the barman's alarming likeness to Mr T, however.
The Brunswick Bar (Elm Row, 7/10/11/12/14/16/22/25/49) a bit of a strange one; the place was quite nice inside and did a great pint,but it was absolutely dead (and no they didn't have advance warning that we'd be there). There's potential for someone to make something of it when all the UNITE student halls pop up round there next year.
The Hopetoun Bar and Diner (McDonald Road, 13) is a John Barras pub, so once again I don't need to offer a detailed analysis. Suffice to say Nick managed to find himself in the company of a rather bigoted Rangers man (is there any other kind?), and Greig Bingham's name was mentioned several times. Greig Bingham was not present at this time.
The Slug and Lettuce (Omni Centre, Greenside Place, 1/4/5/7/8/10/11/12/14/15/16/17/19/22/25/26/34/44/45/49) is a chain effort and is almost indistinguishable from any of the other faceless bars within the Omni Centre. Nick was adamant that Neil McDonald should have been with us that night though, because “his nickname is The Lettuce and he looks like a slug”. Fair enough.
Deacon Brodie's Tavern (Bank Street/Lawnmarket, 23/27/41/42/45): William Brodie (1741–1788), more commonly known by his prestigious title of Deacon Brodie, was a Scottish cabinet-maker, deacon of the trades guild and Edinburgh city councillor, who maintained a secret life as a burglar, partly for the thrill, and partly to fund his gambling.
By day, Brodie was a respectable businessman, member of the burgh council and deacon (or president) of the Incorporation of Wrights and Masons. Part of his job in building cabinets was to install and repair their locks and other security mechanisms and repair door locks. He also served on a jury. He socialised with the gentry of Edinburgh, meeting poet Robert Burns and the painter Sir Henry Raeburn. He was also a member of The Edinburgh Cape Club.
At night, however, Brodie became a burglar and thief. He used his daytime job as a way to gain knowledge about the security mechanisms of his clients and to copy their keys using wax impressions. As the foremost wright of the city, Brodie was asked to work in the homes of many of the richest members of Edinburgh society. He used the illicit money to maintain his second life, including five children, two mistresses who did not know of each other, and a gambling habit. He reputedly began his criminal career around 1768 when he copied keys to a bank door and stole £800. In 1786 he recruited a gang of three thieves, Brown, Smith and Ainslie.
The case that lead to Brodie's downfall began later in 1786 when he organised an armed raid on an Excise office in Chessel's Court on the Canongate. Brodie's plan failed and Ainslie was captured. Ainslie agreed to turn King's evidence, to avoid transportation, and informed on the rest of the gang. Brodie escaped to the Netherlands intending to flee to the United States but was arrested in Amsterdam and shipped back to Edinburgh for trial.
The trial started August 27, 1788. At first there was no hard evidence against Brodie before the tools of his criminal trade were found in his house; copied keys, a disguise and pistols. The jury found Brodie and his henchman George Smith, a grocer, guilty. Smith was an English locksmith, he was responsible for a number of thefts, even stealing the silver mace from the University of Edinburgh.
Brodie and Smith were hanged at the Tolbooth October 1, 1788, using a gallows Brodie had designed and funded the year before. According to one tale, Brodie wore a steel collar and silver tube to prevent the hanging from being fatal. It was said that he had bribed the hangman to ignore it and arranged for his body to be removed quickly in the hope that he could later be revived. If so, the plan failed. Brodie was buried in an unmarked grave at the Parish Church in Buccleuch. However rumours of his being seen in Paris circulated later and gave the story of his scheme to evade death further publicity.
Popular myth holds that Deacon Brodie built the first gallows in Edinburgh and was also its first victim. Of this William Roughead in Classic Crimes states that after research he was sure that although the Deacon may have had some hand in the design "...it was certainly not of his construction, nor was he the first to benefit by its ingenuity".
The dichotomy between Brodie's respectable façade, and his real nature inspired Robert Louis Stevenson to write The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. Stevenson's father had furniture made by Brodie.
Or so it says on wikipedia - the pub is a bit of a rubbish tourist trap though.
The Strathmore Bar (Iona Street, diverted 13): our visit here almost gave rise to a financial stooshie; having passed the sign calling the bar “The Trathie” (the S having fallen off a long time ago), I was sceptical of Nick's claims that the place was indeed called The Strathmore, even to the point at which I offered to raise a £300 waiger on the matter. Thankfully Mr Chris McCall talked me down from the ledge.
Tamson's (the old Footballer's Arms, Easter Road, 1/13/35) looks fairly uninviting from the outside but once we crossed the threshold it turned out to be a nice little pub. We had planned to have one pint and one pint only, but quicky developed a residency at the bar, helped by Mr Chadha repeatedly (and conveniently) missing his bus by a matter of minutes.
The Black Bull (Leith Street/Calton Road, 1/5/7/14/19/22/25/34/49) is renouned for its popularity with local punks and metal fans, and has the jukebox to match. The thought of the place provokes tinitis in me, and we were only in at the back of 7! Not one for the hard of hearing.
The Newsroom (Leith Street, 1/5/7/14/19/22/25/34/49) is a cocktail bar/juice bar/ponce fest but it served a nice halfway point for the walk between the Black Bull and our next point of call (roughly 50 yards round the corner), and surprisingly did a very good pint of Guinness. I'm not sure if it was a deliberate point given the name of the joint, or whether it was simply a reflection on the type of place The Newsroom is, but I was pleased to see that a full-ish selection of the days' broadsheets was available for persual whilst one drank their pint.
The Waterloo Buffet (Waterloo Place, X25/X26) is a strange little place tucked away beyond the end of Princes Street but before Calton Hill. Busy during the day with commuters necking a swift half before catching their buses to West Lothian or wherever it is they go, the place is dead at night – indeed our only company in the bar was a rather drunk fellow who insisted on telling us his life story. Twice. It may have been coincidence but it was at around this point that the barmaid decided to call time on proceedings. We headed straight upstairs to The Ark (Waterloo Place, X25/X26) a music venue-cum-bar where singer-songwriting and all round good guy Alex Cornish was wearing a red-check shirt and playing some tunes. If you want to read a review of the gig you should check here, we stood at the back and drank a lot of Guinness so were in no place to pass comment.
The Living Room (George Street, 13,19,36,37,41,47,X47): From time to time, The Management engage in social drinking, rather than simply dragging themselves into pubs and making jokes about Adam Johns. Our visit to The Living Room was one such occasion, as we joined PWC's finest for some kind of birthday 'do, a 21st or something*. A couple of the PWC crowd had been exercising their drinking muscles since lunchtime and thus were rather er, merry, especially one bloke who at one stage must have had about 4 pints in front of him – seemingly with each cigarette break he would forget that his collection was increasing. The place itself was quite classy, not just 'stylish' or 'trendy' as many New Town bars seem to be. Nick has asked me to point out that he found the cocktails substandard – at first I thought he was bemoaning the lack of an umbrella or cherry tomato but no, he genuinely wasn't impressed with his celery and cucumber concoction, or whatever it was. I had a mojito and an Estonian beer, both passed the test.
Until the next time....
CUMULATIVE PUB COUNT: 88
*Note: this may not be true.
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